Obama's $410 billion Federal Budget

Oh there are so many angry Obama supporters, I am one and it's based on his actions of the last fifty days the belie the promises he made. The give him a break he's only been in office excuse is not enough to justify current mistakes and have no doubt that mistakes they are. Today we've got the Federal Budget: $410 billion.

Do I want the Federal government to shut down? Of course not. But blanket approval including a PAY RAISE for federal employees who would get a 3.9 percent pay increase while federal judges would receive a 2.8 cost-of-living adjustment.

This from the man who stated: "And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."

Transparency without responsibility is the arrogance of daring someone to say something. We're being told that in this economy when UNEMPLOYMENT is ticking up to double digits that President Obama has decided to support a 3.9 percent pay inrease for federal employees. This is not wise in this economy, firstly because it shows a DISCONNECT between government and reality...the let them eat cake irony of an ill informed government. We're in it together is not at all apparent with this handout. Secondly because of President Obama's intention to expand government, meaning more employees at of course, higher salaries. Is this a reform of bad habits? Is this spending wisely? Even those who will blindly bash this Obama voter with the dissent is treason argument should examine the sense of this move.

President Obama is forgetting that he was elected, his moment arrived because of the conduct of the last administration. No candidate succeeds because of his own merit, it is always in comparison to the merit of the other side. So while the confidence from a landslide might be seductive, it is not without limits and President Obama with his plans for examining improvements in FIVE YEARS, for emphasizing the long road to recovery, and in passing legislation willy nilly simply because he has until 2010 to utilize a democratic Congressional majority, should examine his own words.

"If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost."

Our welfare is not supported by a 3.9% raise for federal employees. Our welfare is not supported by a lets wait and see approach to throwing billions of dollars at failing businesses because, it's not working. And as Democrats, we risk losing all credibility for whomever comes along in that fifth year. We risk the ricochet of opposite choices that helped Obama gain office because of George Bush's catastrophic failure and deception. But openness about giving pay raises to federal civilian employees in an environment of uncertainty and unemployment, benefits packages that any citizen can look up and wonder at while they are left to shop the "free market" that has brought bankruptcy to the sick and wealth to the health insurers and providers, is WORSE than deception, it's thumbing your nose in the face of the misery of the American people.

As for the excuse of problem inheritance? If there's ONE thing President Obama can easily change it's this: Stop whining over the circumstances that contributed to your election and acknowledge you didn't understand the problems, that you mistakenly thought you could do something different from the old feed the budget/starve the budget approach to problem management, and instead of referring to what will happen in your fifth year, start accounting for success and failure immediately.

President Obama is living the old joke about a departing executive's three letters to his successor: the first one states: BLAME YOUR PREDECESSOR, the second states REORGANIZE and the third advises PREPARE THREE LETTERS.